Abnormal Cholesterol Level
Abnormal Cholesterol Level, Causes, and Effects
Types of cholesterol include total cholesterol which is the combination of all cholesterols; High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol which is normally referred to as the “good” cholesterol; and Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, normally referred to as the “bad” cholesterol (Pereira, 2017). The LDL cholesterol within the blood causes plagues to be formed within arteries, and this makes the arteries less flexible and elevates the risk of blood clots. Triglycerides and LDL increase the risk of individual developing atherosclerosis. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are supposed to be lower than 100 mg/dL (Pereira, 2017).
High cholesterol levels elevate an individual’s risk to cardiovascular disease. High cholesterol levels lead to fat deposits within the blood vessels. The fat deposits keep on growing and this hinders effective blood flow and at times cause clot formation causing a stroke or heart attack (Pereira, 2017). Abnormal Cholesterol Level Essay Example
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Causes of high cholesterol levels include: unhealthy diet where consumption of saturated fats from animal products such as red meat and dairy products and trans-fats within some food products increase cholesterol levels (Leening &Ikram, 2018); being overweight or obese; lack of physical activities because physical activities improve the level of HDL cholesterol levels and increases the size of particles making up bad cholesterol rendering them less harmful; smoking also damages the walls of blood vessels which leads to an accumulation of fatty acids and also reduces the level of the good cholesterol; age is also a risk factor to high cholesterol because aging reduces the ability of the liver to eradicate bad cholesterol; finally, diabetes causes increased cholesterol levels due to accumulation of very-low-density lipoprotein and damage to the arterial lining (Pereira, 2017).
Diagnostic Tests
A lipid profile or lipid panel is the blood test performed to examine cholesterol levels. This diagnostic test reports the HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol (Warren et al, 2016).
Treatment and Prevention of High Cholesterol Levels
Statins: Statins obstruct the chemical used by the liver to make cholesterol and therefore the liver is able to eliminate cholesterol from the blood. Statins also aid the body to reabsorb cholesterol from accumulated deposits in the arterial lining; this reverses coronary heart disease. Some types of statins encompass pravastatin (Pravachol), fluvastatin (Lescol XL), atorvastatin (Lipitor), as well as simvastatin (Zocor), among other choices (Warren et al, 2016).
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors: Medications such as ezetimibe (Zetia) assists in decreasing blood cholesterol by hindering the absorption of dietary cholesterol. This is because dietary cholesterol is absorbed from the small intestines and released in the bloodstream (Warren et al, 2016).Abnormal Cholesterol Level Essay Example
Lifestyle changes have been shown to be effective in preventing abnormal cholesterol levels. Consumption of a healthy diet and physical activities are the first-line preventative approach against high cholesterol (Leening &Ikram, 2018).
Follow Up Care
Follow-up care in patients with high cholesterol levels includes blood testing and nutrition services. Blood testing involves determining and monitoring of patients’ lipid profile in order to determine their cholesterol levels. The nutritional services help in providing patients with practical tools and strategies to help them attain their nutrition targets of consuming food with low cholesterol levels and avoiding health risks such as smoking; this prevents the development of high cholesterol levels (Berger et al, 2015).
References
Berger S, Raman G, Rohin V, Paul J & Johnson E. (2015). Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 102(2), 276–294.
Leening M &Ikram M. (2018). Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: The past, present, and future of blood pressure- and cholesterol-lowering treatments. PLoS Med. 15(3):
Pereira H. (2017). The Importance of Cholesterol in Psychopathology: A Review of Recent Contributions. Indian J Psychol Med. 39(2), 109–113.
Soliman G. (2018). Dietary Cholesterol and the Lack of Evidence in Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients. 10(6), 780.
Warren J, Dimmitt S & Hans S. (2016). Cholesterol trials and mortality. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 82(1), 168–177. Abnormal Cholesterol Level Essay Example